ACLU Slams Tennessee Principal for Outing Gay Students

The ACLU has sent a letter to Memphis City Schools, demanding the school system implement new policies, reprimand principal Daphne Beasley of Hollis F. Price Middle College High School in South Memphis, and compensate and apologize to two students whom Beasley outed in a public posted list which the ACLU says violated the students' constitutional rights to equal protection, freedom of expression and association, due process and privacy.

"The ACLU says in September 2007, Beasley asked her staff to give her the names of students who were couples, heterosexual and homosexual, because she wanted to keep an eye on them to cut down on public displays of affection. She's accused of publicly posting the names of those students, including two boys, Andrew and Nicholas, who had just started dating. The ACLU says that in doing so, Beasley revealed their relationship to other students, teachers and even their parents."

"One of the young men, Nicholas, an 11th grader who just made the Dean's List, spoke with Eyewitness News Everywhere. 'It was actually frightening,' he says, 'to see a list with my name on it where not just other teachers could see but students as well.' Nicholas says his teachers and other students treat him differently as a result of Principal Beasley's decision and that he and Andrew have both had to deal with verbal assaults. Nicholas was also not allowed to go on a trip to New Orleans to help rebuild homes because, as one of his teacher's explained, he would 'embarrass' the school by engaging in gay affection. 'I really feel that my personal privacy was invaded,' Nicholas says. 'I mean, Principal Beasley called my mother and outed me to my mother!'"

Said Hedy Weinberg, Executive Director at the ACLU of Tennessee: "The principal's outing of these two students to their families, classmates, and teachers is unacceptable. Its only purpose was to intimidate not only these students but all gay students at Hollis Price. Educators should be focused on educating their students and not on harassing them because of their sexual orientation or the people with whom they associate."

Comments

PHEW! Once again, absolutely unbelievable how ignorant people still are in regards to this. They do these things without any thought as to the consequences. I would have been mortified if this had happened to me as BOTH of my parents were teachers at both my Junior and Senior high schools!

The principal needs to be terminated. It would also be nice if she could be personally sued for her despicable, hateful action. Kids have a difficult time in school trying to get an education. They don't need additional stress piled on by the obnoxious behavior of unprofessional and mentally defective teachers and administrators. I hope she is hounded by a nationwide effort and forced to resign or is just fired.

Posted by: Bob R | Apr 30, 2008 9:35:47 AM

Fundamentalist Christians, whether black or white, are some of the most ruthless motha' fuckas on this planet.

NIC, you often remind Towleroad visitors about using sexist and misogynist slurs, and so I won't call this woman (highschool principal) what I want to. But think of every slur that an evil woman, man or "queen" can be called and that's what I'm thinking about this evil bible-beating BITCH right now....oooops.

Actually, I don't know if the b.... is a fundie, but well...just in case, I've gone on my tirade against them, and I'm not retracting one word.

We had a similar incident happen here in Philly where some simple-minded (misgoynistic slur) went on a witch hunt against lesbian girls who supposedly were intimidating other "normal" girls. Nevermind the fact that gay boys and girls are harassed and physiclally violated every fuckin' day at her school, she wanted to "protect the girls from the aggressive lesbians." The rotten (misogynistic slur).

Sorry, if I seem a little over zealous over this news story. I had the day off yesterday, and so this is difficult to deal with when you have a hangover...well, actually, withdrawal (I don't have hangovers).

It's one thing to bash grown gay people, it's an abomination (to use one of these idiots biblical terms)...it is an abomination to persecute gay children.

Posted by: Derrick from Philly | Apr 30, 2008 9:39:27 AM

She's lucky the kids weren't kicked out of their homes since at least Nicholas wasn't out to his parents. This was a serious breech of student Rights and ethics that put students at risk of physical and emotional harm. Her actions are unexcusable as are those of the students and teachers who used the information to discriminate against the two. I ditto that she should be terminated immediately and there should a firm zero tolerance crack down on students and teachers who discriminate against the boys.

Posted by: AggieCowboy | Apr 30, 2008 9:47:01 AM

This wasn't simply "outing." It was a concerted effort to intimidate and harass.

My God! What if another student decided to pull a Larry King-type of assassination (Because that's what it was!!!) on these poor children.

That principal MUST BE FIRED immediately!!

Posted by: JerzeeMike | Apr 30, 2008 10:06:37 AM

The superintendent of Memphis City Schools will respond in the "right" way. She was the Supt in Minneapolis when we implemented the district wide support program for GLBT youth. Her name is Carol Johnson, and she knows whats up. She was one of the first superintendents to kick the boy scouts out of Mpls Public Schools because of their anti-gay perspective.

Posted by: G Blanton | Apr 30, 2008 10:20:05 AM

In addition to a few heads rolling at the school, I hope a successful lawsuit makes a big point in the Bluff City. The young men could use the funds for college.

Posted by: Jack Scribe | Apr 30, 2008 10:30:18 AM

Funny how these kind of people prey on others who have no legal right to defend themselves...

Bet old Daphne Beasley has some facts she'd rather not see posted for all to see.

Quite a nasty piece of work there. I'm not sure what the school can do about it, but the kid may be able to sue as a tort claim. The problem is that the couple must have been obvious if the staff knew about it, so they could have been outed by anyone. I think the harassment has more to do with posting the names than simply knowing the truth.

Posted by: anon | Apr 30, 2008 2:54:27 PM

I wouldn't fire her. I'd force her to stay in the job and be held up to public ridicule. Firing her would put her out of the limelight. She doesn't deserve to get off that easy.

Actually, demote her. Can't make her a janitor because janitors are hard workers. Make her somebody's asst. a**-wipe. Not that she's not already.

Posted by: AaronJ | Apr 30, 2008 4:14:48 PM

Let's also not forget equality in the other direction with this. This was just as bad for the hetero couples who were posted; just as much of THEIR privacy was invaded. It might not have as many looming consequences as for the gay couple, but it's still there. As a group that cries out of equality, we must remember the street goes both ways.

Posted by: Nick | Apr 30, 2008 6:45:58 PM

Guess who just sent this bitch an email? That's right, me. And that bitch hasn't canceled her email account yet. So all of you, send messages as quickly as possible.

Posted by: Mateo | Apr 30, 2008 7:02:23 PM

Here's The Board of Commisioners if you want to let them know your opinion of Principal Beasley's actions http://www.mcsk12.net/admin/administration_frames.htm: